Inside Appalachia West Virginia Public Broadcasting

This week, old-time music jams aren’t just fun, they’re good for your mental health.Also, the opioid epidemic has changed how we talk about addiction in Appalachia. But it’s not America’s only drug crisis.And, every year, hundreds of people parachute off the 876-foot-tall New River Gorge Bridge for Bridge Day, but not just anyone can do it. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, hip hop started in New York and took root in places like West Virginia. We explore some of the history of the music and where it is today.Also, food deserts are places where it’s hard to find nutritious food, but they’re found in more than just rural counties in Appalachia. Food deserts are also in disenfranchised neighborhoods, like in East Knoxville. And, the Reverend George Mills Dickerson of Tazewell, Virginia, was born in the years after slavery ended. During Juneteenth, he’s remembered especially through his poetry.You’ll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, we visit with West Virginia trappers to learn about the fur trade in the 21st century.We also meet a county fair champion who keeps racking up the blue ribbons and has released a cookbook of some of her favorites. And we hear an update on the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Construction has begun again, but some people wonder if it’s even needed. These stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

This week, we meet a West Virginia artist who designs stickers, t-shirts, patches and pins. She draws on classic Appalachian phrases her family has used for years. They’re not all radio-friendly.Also, people who live near Indian Creek in southern West Virginia say something is wrong with the water. Tests show contamination from a nearby mine. Now people and animals are getting sick. And, lots of schools are seeing teacher shortages. But what happens when the band director quits?You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.

This week, the woman behind the popular tik tok account “Appalachian Forager” makes jam from wild pawpaws … and jewelry from coyote teeth.We also talk with the hosts of a new podcast that looks at coal dust exposure beyond the mines, affecting people far downstream from Appalachia. And, in some places, slavery continued in different forms well after the end of the Civil War. A new marker in Western North Carolina acknowledges that history and commemorates a disaster that killed 19 Black prisoners. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia. 

For nearly a century, the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival has staged a formal dance. We visit the festival and learn about a manual that’s been passed down for generations.Also, abortion is illegal in most cases in Tennessee. A photographer spent a year following one mother who was denied an abortion. And we talk to Marshall University professor and poet Sarah Henning about her latest book, Burn. You'll hear these stories and more this week, Inside Appalachia.